At the Gratiot County Commission meeting, St. Louis T.A. Cutler Library Director Jessica Little outlined the financial difficulties the county’s libraries are facing due to the cuts in penal fines and increasing costs.

With directors from all the county’s libraries in attendance, she asked the board to consider authorizing a millage request to be put on the August 5 ballot.

The six libraries in the county are all dependent upon those fines, she said.

“Now, (penal fines) just keep going down,” she said.

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Four of the six libraries have cut hours and all six have had to make other cuts, including staff, she said.

She pointed out that other counties have millages and cited Montcalm County as one.

Average millage requests in the state were 0.74 mills in 2013 and 0.68 mills in 2012.

If Gratiot were to ask for 0.5 mills it would generate about $637,000.

If the millage request passed, the county commission would then need to appoint a library board to distribute the money, she said.

The matter of a possible district library was also discussed, although the libraries at this time were only asking for a millage proposal and are not now considering forming a district library.

Nevertheless, it was explained that basically, any two units of government - cities, townships, school districts - can form a district library. It would then become an independent taxing authority and it would not have to rely on the county government.

Alma Library Director Bryan Dinwoody cited the Isabella County and Chippewa River District Library and its branches in the county as an example.

Commission Chair Laura McCollum asked if there were any interest in a district library.

“We’ve been discussing it, but it’s more long term,” Little said. “Some of (Gratiot’s) libraries are facing issues now.”

St. Louis and Alma have each levied one mill for operating expenses, which may be altered if the millage were to be put on the ballot and passed.

It was explained that township residents, who have use of the libraries, are not taxed. The proposed millage would make it more equitable, Little said.

Commissioner Scott Showers asked more about district libraries. Would those board members - if they have bonding authority - be elected?

It was explained that the entities that made up the district library could form the board however they wished, by elections or appointments.

He said he believed that any people with bonding authority should be elected.

As for the libraries’ specific request, “I’d like to talk to the city and folks in my district,” Showers said. “I’m not in a position to make a decision tonight.”

Commissioners agreed to study the matter and bring it back to the board at the first meeting in March.

County Clerk Carol Vernon noted that the deadline for a ballot proposal for the August election is May 13.

About the Author

Linda Gittleman’s alma mater is Western Michigan University where she majored in speech and English and her hometown is Alma. She’s worked at the Morning Sun's Alma office for more than 20 years. Reach the author at lgittleman@michigannewspapers.com
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